Preamble, PFP Bylaws

The Peace and Freedom Party is an open, multi-tendency, movement-oriented socialist party. We are united in our common commitment to socialism, democracy, feminism and unionism and our common opposition to capitalism, imperialism, racism, sexism and elitism.

These by-laws do not define socialism, nor do they identify the strategies and tactics of how to achieve socialism. We agree that socialism is necessary and that it will open up a democratic decision-making process for appropriate use of resources and distribution of labor.

The Partisan (1994-2009)

The Partisan was the newspaper published by the Peace And Freedom Party State Central Committee and was published regularly from 1994 to 2009.

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Legislation

Positions on Legislation, 2015-2016

Published: 19 August 2015

Posted on August 19, 2015 by the Legislative Committee

The Peace and Freedom Party has taken positions for or against a number of bills in the 2015-2016 session of the California legislature, and is watching several more. We may take positions for or against bills on our "watch list" as time goes on. This article lists our current positions with links to relevant documents.

AB 44 requires recounts of statewide elections when the winner and runner-up are within a very small percentage of the vote (currently, recounts only happen when the runner-up can afford to pay for them). Because recounts are an important part of election integrity, and because election results should not depend on the ability of candidates to pay for recounts, we support this bill.

When introduced, AB 44 included language about Presidential primary elections that was unfair to small parties and had other problems as well. We initially took a position of "oppose unless amended". The bill was amended to meet our most important concerns and we now support it.

AB 82 requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to send to the Selective Service System information on all draft-eligible persons who apply for drivers licenses. Although it was amended in the Senate to include an opt-in provision, we still oppose it. There is no legitimate reason to have a Selective Service System in the first place, and California has no reason to do its business for it.

Status as of May 6: in Assembly Appropriations Committee, deferred until 2016 ("two year bill")

AB 477 (Mullin) - Green Party elections - SUPPORT

As amended in the Senate, AB 477 gives the Green Party its own sections of the California Elections Code governing its presidential primaries and party governance. In the absence of these provisions, it has been operating under the Peace and Freedom Party sections. This change is long overdue and we support it. All political parties should have input, independently of the other parties, into the rules under which they govern themselves and nominate candidates.

Although AB 1020 includes some needed technical changes to voter registration procedures, it also makes the voter registration lists provided to candidates, parties and campaigns significantly less useful. We oppose it unless these provisions are removed.

AB 1100 (Low, Bloom) - Increase filing fee for initiatives - OPPOSE

Status as of September 1: passed and signed by the Governor.

AB 1461 (Gonzalez) - automatic voter registration - SUPPORT

Once needed data systems are in place, AB 1461 will require the Secretary of State to register as voters all eligible persons who apply for or renews drivers licenses. This is an important step toward universal voter registration.

The Peace and Freedom Party has watched this bill since its introduction, with concerns about the side effects of greatly expanding voter registration on the registration test for ballot access for political parties. We worked with the author's staff and the Secretary of State's office on an amendment to correct this problem. This amendment was adopted on September 4, and we now support AB 1461.

SB 3 (Leno) - Minimum wage increase and COLA - SUPPORT

Status as of August 27: passed the Senate, in Assembly Appropriations Committee, deferred until 2016 ("two year bill").

SB 49 (Walters) - unopposed candidates in special elections - OPPOSE

SB 49 changes the procedure for filling vacancies in congressional and legislative offices, declaring a candidate elected and canceling a special election when there is only one candidate in the primary. We oppose this bill because this process will not allow other candidates to run as write-ins.

Status as of August 27: passed the Senate, in Assembly Appropriations Committee, deferred until 2016 ("two year bill").

SB 124 (Leno) - Solitary confinement in juvenile facilities - SUPPORT

SB 124 restricts the use of solitary confinement in juvenile facilities to specific situations, requires inspections of the quarters used, and requires public reports on the use of solitary confinement. This bill addresses a real problem with the treatment of juvenile offenders and we support it.

SB 242 requires any school district with a police department to schedule an open public meeting before authorizing acceptance of any surplus military equipment. It also requires that the district insure that its officers are fully trained in the safe use and handling of that equipment, and that a safe, secure storage place be provided. We support this bill as a way of insuring that the public be fully informed and involved in any school district decisions about surplus military equipment.

SB 411 (Lara) - Citizens can photograph police activity - SUPPORT

SB 608 (C. Liu) - Homelessness is not a crime - SUPPORT

Status as of April 8: in Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, deferred until 2016 ("two year bill")

SCA 8 (Mendoza) - District elections in counties - OPPOSE

SCA 8 amends the state constitution to (1) require all counties to elect their boards of supervisors from districts rather than at large and (2) require all large counties to have at least seven members of their boards of supervisors. We have no quarrel with the second point, but the first would prevent counties from adopting proportional representation. As advocates for proportional representation for all legislative bodies, we believe this is a step in the wrong direction.

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Voter Registration

In California, voter registration is very important to political parties. The very existence of a political party as "ballot-qualified" is determined by the number of votes its statewide candidates receive or by the number of voters registered with the party. As the only feminist socialist political party on the California ballot, it is imperative that the Peace and Freedom Party continues as a qualified party. Quite simply, the Peace and Freedom Party will not be able to provide Californians with candidates that will represent us unless we register and vote Peace and Freedom.